


Intelligenti Vidistis

by TransformersG1fan271



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Just trying out different ships, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:20:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24450475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TransformersG1fan271/pseuds/TransformersG1fan271
Summary: Charlie Cutter and how he and Nathan became a pair in their strange world.
Relationships: Charlie Cutter/Nathan Drake
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Intelligenti Vidistis

Charlie Cutter is known throughout the treasure hunting community as tough muscle, the guy you want to hire if you needed a large number of people dead. 

Only a certain few knew the brilliant scholar that lay underneath the muscle and sneers.

Nathan Drake had first met Charlie when he and his brother Sam were slowly becoming names in the industry. They had needed help infiltrating a museum in France, and Charlie was the best person to hire for muscle. At first, Charlie had barely given the two the time of day, only speaking to either answer a question, or yank them from being spotted during surveillance. Nathan, being Nathan of course, stole Charlie’s journal as he slept one morning. Too busy rifling through the bountiful notes that rivaled his own, it took him a few minutes to notice that Charlie had woken. Expecting to be yelled at, Charlie merely asked what Nathan thought, and the older man seemed surprised when the younger man praised his notes. That little bit of common ground bonded the two brothers and Charlie together, Charlie being fairly surprised at how passionate they both were about history. It was only a year before the brothers’ hired him again, although this time it was to have Charlie join in the hunt, rather than be muscle. 

It was absolutely exhilarating, up until trouble befell them. They had been chased by mercenaries from a clue to the find they sought, and all three had become separated after running into a cave system nearby. Stumbling around in darkness seemed to take ages, but eventually, Charlie saw light, running forward with a grin. He saw the merc entering his view too late, dropping to the ground as an RPG round exploded feet behind him. Stone rained down upon him, Charlie crying out as he was pinned to the ground, the dust eventually fading to reveal only darkness around him. Even as a kid, Charlie had never been one to enjoy being enclosed in darkness, but this? Charlie could feel his heart starting to race, blood pressure climbing as he began to panic. He couldn’t move but only one arm, fingers digging into dirt and stone to try and pull himself free, but to no avail. 

Seconds passed by like hours, Cutter yelling until his throat became raw. Air seemed to come and go, leaving him gasping as he tried to work his way free, but eventually, he ran out of strength. He was going to die here, alone and in the darkness that seemed to be consuming his very soul. It’s two days later when, right when Charlie feels himself being pulled under for sleep, rock is heard falling away to reveal light. He can see the blurry face of Samuel Drake, the older brother looking relieved and horrified at Charlie’s state, renewing his efforts to pull more rock away to reveal the shine of flashlights from beyond. Nathan looks frazzled, his shirt covered in blood as he helps Sam free Charlie, far too adept at medical care for someone his age as broken bones are reset and wounds sewed up. Charlie passed out and comes to in a hospital, his bills paid and a note with the brothers’ phone numbers in case he needed anything. He calls Nathan after a while, finding that the younger brother was more than happy to talk history with him, and it helps to pass the time.

After that, Charlie is less than thrilled if he’s confronted with tight and dark places. He passes up a chance to help the Drake’s in some prison, shuddering at the thought of being placed into solitary for even a moment.

He regrets it when only one brother comes home.

Cutter wonders if he could have been able to save Samuel, and isn’t surprised when Nathan withdraws for him for over a year. He keeps in touch via Sully, taking on a job that seems soured without late nights of historic debates and friendly banter from Nathan and Sam. They weigh heavily on his mind after the job is done, and he finally returns home. Nathan is there, however, looking so tired for someone so young, and it tugs at Cutter’s heart. Nathan doesn’t say much at first, pecking at the take-out Charlie orders and murmuring one-word responses until he is offered beer. Nathan is still a lightweight, and before long Charlie is consoling Nathan with his own sad look. Nathan decides to stay for a little while, slowly becoming his old self as they talk over research and various other topics as they both sought for the next job. As their life demands, Nathan goes to Panama for an old friend, despite the pain the very name brought him, and Charlie is hired as a thug for a paycheck. News of Quivira and its founding, and subsequent destruction, by Nathan Drake, has Charlie impressed, but worried as news of warlords and radiation filter among the black market. Nathan, tired, bruised and shaking from his adventure finds his way to Charlie. They celebrate, finding themselves relaxing on the couch while watching some movies. One of Charlie’s arms is around Nathan’s shoulders, hand resting in that soft hazel hair he’s always been fond of. Nathan has his head resting on Charlie’s shoulder, giving the occasional hum as the painkillers given to him slowly take the ebb of his injuries away. One arm rests over his still aching side, the other entwined with Charlie’s free hand as they chuckle at some part in the film. He feels Charlie slowly rubbing the palm of his hand, taking care of bruised fingers that still ached from clawing at stone and climbing up cliffs. 

They aren’t sure what this is, but waking up together after falling asleep on the couch had been peaceful.

Time passes by, and little by little he and Charlie grow intertwined. There’s the occasional bout of sex, usually after large quantities of alcohol, and it’s never anything but satisfying. It isn’t the physical they end up bonding over, no it’s their passion for history and their wants to learn everything they could that brings their relationship to a new level. Sully often hears their late-night calls, seeing the way Nathan perks up and grin as he riffles through his notes, the two excitedly spewing out clue after clue. Charlie can be found laughing over a drink, the two usually taking up a booth in a bar. Anyone who dared look at Nathan got cold eyes lasered in on them until they fled the bar, the younger treasure hunter none the wiser, or so Charlie assumed. 

Whatever they had was just as strange as their careers, but for them, it was enough.


End file.
